Dutch forced to rethink decision on Somali-born MP

The Dutch immigration minister has agreed to reconsider her threat to revoke the citizenship of a Somali-born member of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, known for her opposition to fundamentalist Islam.

Rita Verdonk said the threat was based on a television programme broadcast last week in which Ms Hirsi Ali admitted lying about her name and age on her asylum application when she fled to the Netherlands in 1992 to escape an arranged marriage.

With her new name, Ms Hirsi Ali became one of the best-known figures in the country. She has lived under police protection since a film she wrote criticising the treatment of women under Islam led to the murder of its director, Theo van Gogh, by an Islamic radical.

On Monday Ms Verdonk said that under Dutch law, Ms Hirsi Ali's naturalisation was automatically void since she had lied.

The MP resigned on Tuesday, saying it would be impossible for her to function while fighting a legal battle over her immigration status.

Ms Verdonk said Ms Hirsi Ali would retain an immigrant visa, and would be eligible to reapply for citizenship. The developments caused amazement among the public and politicians, including the prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, who questioned the speed with which Ms Verdonk made her decisions.

Yesterday Ms Verdonk agreed to reconsider her first decision, and to reprocess Ms Hirsi Ali's naturalisation as quickly as possible if necessary.

Ms Verdonk, from the libertarian VVD Party, is in a tight race for her party's leadership in elections on May 31. She has built her reputation on taking a hard line in immigration cases, and is popular with Dutch people who say they are fed up with the perceived failure of Muslim immigrants to integrate.

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